1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to various thermal-based devices, systems, and methods used for smoking harm reduction and for the practice of Hot Gas Extraction Aromatherapy and Medical or Phyto-Inhalation, in which heat is used to extract aromatic and/or physiologically active compounds from plants, botanicals, or orthomolecular compounds as a vapor for the purpose of vapor delivery via environmental diffusion and inhalation, direct or indirect vapor inhalation, or the collection of extracted vapor or vapor condensate for subsequent use (i.e. for the production of oil, tincture, or tea concentrates). The present invention contains elements of novel design and original conception and also seeks to improve upon and expand the usefulness of prior art in the field.
2. The Prior Art
At the present time, aromatic and active compound containing vapors are extracted and delivered primarily by one of six different approaches:                1) By extracting the aromatic and active compounds using a solvent and then atomizing this mixture into a vapor or mist that can be inhaled;        2) By extracting the aromatic and active compounds using a solvent and then heating this mixture until a vapor is formed and diffusing it into the ambient atmosphere;        3) By combustion smoking or smoldering of various plant and botanical materials or concentrates (previously extracted oils and resins), whereas the smoke produced contains a small amount of the aromatic and active compounds in vapor form which is inhaled simultaneously with the smoke;        4) By conductive vaporization where a hot surface is used to heat the substrate until the vapors release and then are either inhaled directly or captured for subsequent delivery;        5) By convective vaporization using a heating element with or without a thermo-coupled controller or fan mated to an extraction chamber holding the extract to extract the vapor that is then either inhaled directly or captured for subsequent delivery. Some of these systems use an industrial heat gun that is not accurate enough for a medical level of accuracy and is not FDA compliant, but works well nonetheless as the heat source; or        6) By a combination of convective and conductive extraction and indirect or direct inhalation.        
The disadvantages of current approaches include: complexity and hassle of solvent extraction and the chemical nature of the solvents themselves which are often a trigger for allergies; “vapor cigarettes” that still deliver harmful amounts of smoke; heat guns currently used are too big and bulky and not accurate enough or FDA compliant; some systems have metal extraction chambers or metal hot plates that are incapable of maintaining a stable temperature and sometimes release metal ions that affect the aromatics; many of the systems are dry delivery which will irritate the throat; many of the systems are far two slow to warm up and too slow in the extraction; many of the systems capture the vapor prior to delivery and expose it to air that leads to uncontrolled oxidation; smoking, the most common approach, is known to be harmful to cardio vascular health because smoke contains a whole array of undesirable components such as noxious gases and known carcinogenic compounds and so is contra-indicated for therapeutic applications.
Most of the newer art belongs in one of the two last aforementioned categories. It represents the current cutting edge of the products available in the marketplace and, as such, is fairly well tested at this time. The actual field-testing of the currently available products represented in the prior art clearly demonstrates a number of disadvantages not yet addressed. The present invention aims to improve upon the prior art with one or more of the possible configurations represented.
Jenson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,928) discloses one such smoking apparatus that is very representative of the basic structures of many commonly used designs. Jenson's smoking pipe primarily consists of a mouthpiece, a removable bowl, and a stem. The bowl is attached or detached through the use of simple threads. With the bowl in place, just as Jenson discloses, the intra-convertible heat tool of the present invention can be used in hand-held mode by simply aiming the hot air output at the substrate contained in the bowl, so that it can be heated rather than incinerated and the user can inhale aromatic vapor instead of smoke. The efficiency of this approach could be further improved by using the intra-convertible heat tool with the addition of a tapered nozzle attachment to improve the mating of the heat tool to the pipe bowl, and thus, improve the efficiency of the vapor extraction.
Jenson discloses the removable bowl feature as intended for the purpose of ease of cleaning. The feature has obviously been found to be quite useful as it has been adapted broadly by others in the same field. However, such a feature also serves to make this common design modifiable for further improvement in vapor extraction efficiency with the addition of either a one piece or a two piece extraction chamber having a sequential venturi-inducing intake and lower chamber designs that mate to the intra-convertible heat tool of the present invention in place of the standard bowl as disclosed.
As with all other prior art smoking pipe apparatuses, Jenson's design is intended for combustion smoking. The tobacco, or other herb, is intended to be placed within the open bowl portion of the apparatus where it is ignited by a source of ignition, such as a lighter or match, and allowed to incinerate or burn while the smoker periodically draws, or inhales, the smoke. Medical research has deemed smoking to deliver not only a very small amount of the aromatic oils found in the tobacco or other herbs, but a whole host of particulate matter, tars, and noxious gases now proven scientifically to be hazardous to the user's health and often cancerous. The present invention is intended to expand the usefulness of and/or modify apparatuses, such as disclosed by Jenson, to preserve much of the process or ritual associated with it's conventional use, but to also enable the delivery of aromatic oil vapor void of such harmful components in lieu of smoke.
The present invention is also intended to offer a more efficient, appealing, and/or cost effective alternative to complete single-usage mode vaporization systems such as the Vaporizer For Inhalation And Method for Extraction of Active Ingredients From a Crude Natural Product or other Matrix disclosed by Pate (U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,301), the Hot Gas Extraction Device For Volatizing At Least One Substituent Of A Material disclosed by Wheeler (U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,748), or the Inhaler For Production Of Aroma- and/or Active Substance Containing Vapors of Plant Materials and/or Fluids disclosed by Storz (U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,524).
Pate discloses a complete vapor extraction system consisting of a hot air source, such as a hot air gun or a high pressure tank with heat exchanger, that introduces hot air from below. The hot air then ascends through a permeable support structure (e.g. fritted glass disk, etc.), subsequently causing specimen particles disposed on the permeable support structure to be suspended within the confines of an isolations chamber, which is said to allow maximized gas extraction exposure for each suspended particle, and promote a uniform extraction of the aggregate charge through it's periodic mixing. Pate goes on to further disclose a filter for preventing the particles from being inhaled by the user and an embodiment that includes a side arm that can be used to divert mixed purge gases from the specimen required to be under inert gas during its extraction for the purpose of preventing wasteful loss of active ingredients.
Since Pate's system relies on either a hot air gun that is big, bulky, non-ergonomic, and not FDA compliant, or a high pressure tank with heat exchanger that is cost prohibitive, even larger and bulkier, and would only reasonably be viable in a laboratory environment for the heated gas source, the present invention offers distinct advantages over Pate. Most notably the present invention offers a use-specific, more ergonomic heat source that uses medical grade rather than industrial grade components. The heat source of the present invention is also FDA compliant and intra-convertibly compatible with other systems, offering more usage options without the added expense of additional heat sources.
Pate does not disclose an embodiment that enables extraction efficiency optimization via Venturi or turbulence creating members prior to or within the extraction chamber. Pate also fails to offer an embodiment that enables moisture conditioning of the vapor. These elements exist in one ore more of the present invention's configurations and represent a clear and substantial improvement over the prior art. In the present invention's secondary form, using a thermo-coupled hot air gun as the heat source with the same range of compatibility, the intra-convertible nature, the extraction efficiency optimization elements of the various extraction apparatuses provided for, and the moisture conditioning delivery vessel capabilities all contribute to a clear and substantial improvement over the prior art as disclosed by Pate.
Wheeler discloses a complete system comprised of a bowl-like container for holding the material from which vapor is to be extracted. It has an open end and an opposing discharge conduit, a heating tool that consists of a cap with holes in it that houses a heating element and that seals atop the open end of the bowl-like container, and a vapor collection vessel of sorts that the vapor is intended to be collected and cooled in that communicates with a user intake tube that would allow the user to draw off the extracted vapor for inhalation. Like other vaporization delivery mediums currently available, Wheeler's device relies on the systematic combination of all components to function as such, and none of the components are intra-convertible or cross-compatible with any other vapor extraction and delivery system. Additionally, like other vaporization delivery mediums currently available, it consists of a vessel that collects the vapor prior to inhalation, undesirably exposing it to substantial air volume that can lead to uncontrolled oxidation of the therapeutic components in the vapor.
The present invention, in one or more of its configurations, is intended to enable the hot gas extraction vaporization function in much the same way as Wheeler's device, but improved through the use of a use-specific, more ergonomic heat source that uses medical grade rather than industrial grade components, is FDA compliant, and is intra-convertibly compatible with multiple vapor extraction and delivery systems, offering more usage options without the added expense of additional heat sources. It also delivers the vapor in one or more configurations with minimal exposure to air volume in order to prevent uncontrolled oxidation.
Wheeler does provide for a Venturi-inducing reduction in the diameter of the extraction chamber after the convective hot air flow has already passed through the substrate and extracted vapor. However, this does little to increase the actual efficiency of the extraction as it has already taken place by the time the full useful Venturi-induced acceleration of the convective hot air flow takes place.
The present art provides for specific material, physical, and dimensional relationships causing the helpful Venturi-induced acceleration to take place both prior to and after the extraction has taken place, resulting in a considerable increase in extraction efficiency. In the both the present invention's preferred form with the use-specific, medical grade heat tool, or in it's secondary form using a thermo-coupled hot air gun as the heat source, the intra-convertible nature, extraction efficiency optimization elements in the various extraction apparatuses provided for, oxidation minimizing, and moisture conditioning capabilities all contribute to a clear and substantial improvement to the art as disclosed by Wheeler.
Storz discloses a system that makes it possible to flow the hot air through the portion of plant material to be vaporized or the fluid with one pass, and yet make it possible that inhalation can occur independently and comfortably in multiple inhalations. In order to accomplish this, Storz has provided for a temperature regulated forced hot air base unit, on which the user sits a mated extraction chamber and valve that is connected to a collection balloon. The hot air then flows through the extraction chamber, extracts the vapors. The vapors are then collected in the balloon, which when full can be disconnected below the valve from the extraction chamber and re-connected to a valve housing mouthpiece for delivery purposes.
Although, Storz does disclose a system that meets his stated goal of increasing the convenience of extracting and inhaling aromatic and/or active substance containing vapors, he fails to optimize either the extraction process itself or the delivery means for greatest therapeutic gain by the user. The extraction chamber Storz discloses and demonstrates is a straight bore extraction chamber preferably manufactured from light metal that does not take advantage of the specific material, physical, and dimensional relationships disclosed and demonstrated in the present invention. Such physical and dimensional relationships include tapered intake and vapor delivery vessel volumes that cause the helpful Venturi-induced acceleration of the convective hot air flow to take place both prior to and after the extraction has taken place for a considerable increase in extraction efficiency. Storz's straight bore extraction chamber suffers slow and inefficient extractions as a result and does not accomplish his own stated goal of making it possible to flow the hot air through the portion of plant material to be vaporized or the fluid with one pass. Due to the use of light metal, or in the case of the actual commercially available embodiment of Storz's invention, stainless steel, for the extraction chamber and valve assembly, the extraction chamber suffers from progressively increasing apparent extraction temperatures with the same temperature convective hot air flow passing through because of the undesirable thermo-dynamic qualities of the metal. The steel collects the heat until reaching a point well above the desired vaporization temperature, at which point it radiates heat into the chamber, adversely affecting the quality and purity of the extracted vapor.
The present invention utilizes tapered and o-ring friction-based mating methods for the various apparatus components suitable for use with borosilicate, quartz, ceramic, or other preferred and more medical-oriented materials with thermo-dynamic qualities superior to metals that help maintain a more stable temperature in the extraction chamber during usage.
Storz also fails to provide for an embodiment that enables moisture conditioning of the vapors prior to delivery and fails to consider the effect the residual collection of sticky vapor condensate on the spring-actuated valve components will have over medium to long term usage periods. In the present invention's preferred embodiment, with the use-specific, medical grade heat tool, or in it's secondary embodiment, using a thermo-coupled hot air gun as the heat source, the intra-convertible nature, extraction efficiency optimization elements, the manually actuated residue resistant valve design, and the moisture conditioning capabilities of the vapor extraction chamber to valve-controlled vapor collection balloon to moisture conditioning vapor delivery vessel configuration all contribute to a clear and substantial improvement over the art as disclosed by Storz.
The current use of cigarettes or smoking pipes for the inhaling of aromatic and active constituents of plants, botanicals and orthomolecular compounds is recognized as delivering numerous irritants and possible carcinogens along with the desired active principles to the tracheobronchial tree and oral cavity. Vaporization, the temperature range of which is represented by the boiling points of the desired active constituents, occurs significantly below the flash point and pyrrolytic temperature of both the active and non-active components of commonly smoked materials, and thus, as a delivery medium, separates out the more therapeutic and active chemical components from the crude plant or resin impurities and breakdown products of pyrrolsis. The various vaporization systems that have been developed over the years to harness the advantages of this delivery medium have all suffered from one or more weaknesses.
The currently used means by which to vaporize aromatic and active plant and orthomolecular materials for Hot Gas Extraction Aromatherapy and Medical or Phyto-Inhalation include several different approaches.
The Atomization approach, where the aromatic and active compounds are extracted from the substrate using a solvent such as alcohol, and then the mixture is atomized into a vapor or mist that can be inhaled.
The Combined Thermal/Solvent approach, where the aromatic and active compounds are extracted from the substrate using a solvent, and then the mixture is heated until a vapor is formed that is allowed to diffuse into the ambient atmosphere.
The Combustion Smoking approach, or smoldering of various plant and botanical materials or concentrates (previously extracted oils and resins), where the smoke produced through combustion of the substrate contains a small amount of the aromatic and active compounds in vapor form, which is inhaled simultaneously with the smoke.
The Thermal Conductive approach, where a hot surface is used to heat the substrate until the vapors release and then are either inhaled directly or captured for subsequent delivery.
The Thermal Convective approach, where four different distinct sub-approaches exist: heat guns with thermo-coupled controllers that are not accurate enough for a medical level of accuracy and fan motors that are not brushless (so could potentially release carbon ions) are used with special extraction chamber bowls attached to conventional pipes or vapor specific inhalation vessels; soldering iron elements with glass or metal extraction chamber housings hooked up to a mouthpiece or hose that are passive convective and rely on the inhalation of the user and are not thermo coupled controlled so that the amount of inhalation force a user uses will dramatically affect the temperature at the actual extraction point; or aluminum elements such as are used in the terrarium business for keeping reptile tanks warm (which are also not accurate enough for medical level therapeutic applications) are used within a housing as a heat source for vapor specific extraction and delivery systems that either use a hose for direct dry delivery and inhalation or use a balloon attached to a valve controlled extraction chamber for filling, and then a valve containing mouthpiece for dry delivery of the balloon captured vapor.
This last system has solved the problem of previous vapor capture and delivery approaches that did not let the user easily move with the captured vapor and suffered from uncontrolled oxidation of the vapor by using a balloon that could be collapsed and rid of all air in order to minimize oxidation. It is light and easy to hold. However, it's straight bore extraction chamber makes for a slow, inefficient extraction and its delivery mouthpiece enables only a dry delivery.
The Thermal Convective and Conductive Combination Approach is a generally unintentionally attained category where all of the previous Thermal and Convective systems end up to varying degrees during prolonged usage depending largely upon the materials chosen for manufacturer, and thus, include both indirect and direct inhalation systems. The Thermal Convective and Conductive Combination Approach is preferred in cases where oil, fluid, or fine powder concentrates are used as the extraction substrate because they do not readily expose much surface area for efficient convective extraction alone.